Suspension filing systems are well known such as marketed under the Pendaflex trademark. Typically, the suspension filing system uses hanging folders which include steel bars that span across the open space over a file drawer and rest upon side rails located on the side of the drawer. The steel bars are captured inside upper folded over segments of the hanging folders and thus can support the contents stored inside the folder. Typically, these conventional folders are open on the top as well as their sides to easily receive papers and the like, though papers can and often do tend to fall out from the sides.
Hanging folders using bags are also known. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,734 in which a hanger bag assembly is shown and described for mounting on side rails in a suspension filing system. In this patent the bag is suspended from a single hanger rod, which in turn has side located notches for riding on side rails along the file drawer. The hanger bag has an envelope type opening through which articles can be stored in the bag by accessing it from the side. Other suspension filing systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,215 for storing disks and U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,833 for a locking mechanism attached to a conventional hanging folder.
A bag for hanging from rods is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,922 and includes a transparent bag whose upper opening sides are respectively affixed to a pair of handles. The handles in turn are connectable and separable through interlocking male and female fasteners. Other similar bag handles and with the use of transparent bags have been described in the art and are commercially available.
Although these prior art bags are effective, the need to store articles such as disks, tapes and booklets in suspension type filing systems makes it desirable to be able to use suspension bags which are easy to open while they are mounted in a suspension file and yet are sturdy and reliably retain the articles.